This law contains the provisions for the procedures for the slaughter of animals. More specifically the slaughter of animals of the bovine, equine, ovine, porcine and caprine species. However, Article 2 establishes that executive power may extend these provisions to the slaughter of birds, rabbits, and other minor species. Slaughterhouses and meat packing plants in Argentina must comply with the desensitization requirements and procedures established by the executive power. This law prohibits the use of the clubs in slaughtering. The veterinary inspection services of the national and of the provincial or municipal administrations are the control entities for the compliance of this law. The Secretary of State for Agriculture and Livestock is the entity that imposes sanctions to establishments subject to national veterinary inspection and those that violate these provisions.

This law declared animal and plant health of national interest. Ley 27233 established that the all persons including legal persons that are participants in the agro-food chain (production, obtention, transportation and industrialization of products, by-products, and derivatives of silvo-agricultural and fishing origin), have the responsibility to watch and respond to the health, innocuousness, hygiene, and quality of agricultural production, in accordance with the current regulations. Article 2 declared of public order the national regulations by which the development of actions aim for the preservation of animal health, plant protection, and the hygienic-sanitary condition of food of agricultural origin. This responsibility extends to those who produce, divide, conserve, deposit, concentrate, transport, commercialize, sell, import or export animals, vegetables, food, raw materials, food additives, reproductive material, animal feed and raw materials, fishery products and other products of animal and/or vegetable origin that act individually, jointly or successively, in the agro-food chain.

Argentina’s Juzgado No. 4 on Contentious Administrative and Tax Matters of the City of Buenos Aires held on October 21, 2015 that Sandra, an orangutan that had lived at the Buenos Aires Zoo for over 20 years, is a non-human person subject to rights, based on the precedent of the Argentina’s Federal Chamber of Criminal Cassation of December 18, 2014 and Ley 14.346, 1954. The court ruled that “Sandra has the right to enjoy the highest quality of life possible to her particular and individual situation, tending to avoid any kind of suffering that could be generated by the interference of humans in her life." In its holding, the court also stated that the Buenos Aires government has to guarantee Sandra’s adequate condition of habitat and the activities necessary to preserve her cognitive abilities. The amicus curiae experts Dr. Miguel Rivolta, Héctor Ferrari and Dr. Gabriel Aguado were instructed to prepare a binding report resolving what measures had to be adopted by the government in relationship to Sandra.

This is an appeal of a decision in first instance where the lower court gave the custody of 68 dogs to the Center for Prevention of Animal Cruelty. The 68 dogs were found in extremely poor conditions, sick, malnourished, dehydrated under the custody of the Defendant. Various dogs had dermatitis, conjunctivitis, otitis, sparse hair and boils, lacerations, pyoderma and ulcers. The officers that executed the search also found the decomposing body of a dead dog inside the premises. The lower court determined the defendant had mental disabilities, which did not allow her to comprehend the scope of her acts, for which she was not found guilty of animal cruelty. However, the court determined that she was not suited to care for the dogs. The Defendant appealed the decision arguing that the dogs were not subject to confiscation.

This Decreto contains the regulations for the safe treatment of live animals during loading, unloading and transportation of livestock. It aims for the humane treatment of animals during transportation and other related options.

Decreto 206/2001 created the The National Program of Organic Production (PRONAO), which is under the jurisdiction of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing and Food of the Ministry of Economy. The purpose of this program is to promote the production and trade of organic production in Argentina. Specifically, Chapter VII of this decreto regulates animal production. Article 13. Reads: “Organic livestock should develop a harmonious relationship between land, plants and livestock, and respect the physiological and behavioral needs of animals." Animals produced under these organic standards must meet animal welfare guidelines. This program advises to use alternative practices to mutilations such as tail-docking, debeaking, tooth and wing trimming. It specifically states that this practices are not recommended as a concurrent practice.

This “Decreto” regulates Law No. 22,421, relating to the law for conservation of wildlife, emphasizing the management powers of the national enforcement authority, through the Secretariat of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development. This regulatory decree also regulates the practice of hunting and creates the National Registry of Hunters. The National Registry of Hunters deals in: sport hunting, commercial hunting, hunting with scientific or educational purposes, and hunting for control of harmful species. Other topics that Decreto 666 regulates include: sanctuaries, breeding stations for wildlife, import, export and interprovincial trade of wildlife and byproducts. In the latter, it is mandatory to register in the corresponding registry of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and to keep books that record the movement of such animals and products. It is also mandatory to supply the reports that are required and to facilitate access at all times of the authorized officials for inspection and control. The law created the Advisory Commission for Wildlife and its Habitat to propose solutions to problems relating to the sustainable use of wild fauna. The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development is the authority of enforcement with national scope. Its responsibility is to classify the wild fauna species, to set the corresponding tariffs for the registry of sport hunting, among other responsibilities. The National Service of health and agro-food quality (SENASA) is in charge of the sanitary control of wildlife subject to national and international trade.

Before the Argentina National Constitution of 1994, the attorney Alberto Kattan and Juan Schroder brought an action of amparo (protection of rights) against the national government to prevent the hunting of 14 Commerson's dolphins that had been authorized by the national government. The question was whether these people had a cause of action as they had not suffered any direct or personal harm. The court declared the action of amparo valid leaving the administrative authorizations that allowed the hunting of Commerson's dolphins without effect.

This law seeks to protect animals against mIstreatment and cruel acts. Mistreatment are cruel acts and considered criminal offenses, which can be punished from 15 days to 1 year in prison. Article 2 of this law establishes the acts considered mistreatment, which includes not feeding domestic and captive animals with food in enough quantity and quality. Also included are the acts of forcing animals to work excessive hours without providing adequate rest according to the weather and stimulating them with drugs without pursuing therapeutic purposes, among others. Article 3 defines acts that are considered cruel. These acts include practicing vivisection for purposes that are not scientifically demonstrable, or in places or by people who are not authorized to operate on animals without anesthesia and without the title of doctor or veterinarian, except in cases of emergency. In addition, cruelty includes: mutilating any part of the body of an animal unless the action has purposes of improvement; marking of the respective animal species unless performed for reasons of mercy; performing public or private acts of animal fights, bullfights and parodies where animals are killed, injured or harassed; and other listed acts.